Ice cream carton



Jqly 8, 1969 ELWARD V 3,454,212

ICE CREAM CARTON Filed May 25. 1967 Sheet "o: 2

INVENTOR JOHN R. ELWARD A7702 NEXS 8, 1969, I ,L'RJELWARD 3, 4,?

ICE CREAM CARTON Filed H3325, 1967 I I Sheet v01* 2 1/ INVENTOR JOHN .3. ELM/4RD United States Patent 3,454,212 ICE CREAM CARTON John R. Elward, Novato, Calif., assignor to Fibreboard Corporation, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 25, 1967, Ser. No. 641,365 Int. Cl. B65d 17/20, /54, 5/70 US. Cl. 229-51 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Ice cream and like commodities require a low-cost carton which is not prone to leakage and which may be opened expeditiously and reclosed by the consumer. For example, the type of carton disclosed in US. Patent No. 3,165,254, assigned to the assignee of this application, has a tear strip formed on the front thereof for expeditiously opening same.

In addition to such desiderata, the collapsed carton should be constructed for expeditions erection into tubular form for filling purposes. Conventional cartons employing straight tear strips tend to collapse at a tear line thereof preventing a squaring-up of the carton prior to such filling.

Summary of the invention The present invention provides a carton blank formed out of a minimum amount of paperboard or like material which may be expeditiously formed into a reclosa'blc carton for the containment of ice cream or like commodities. The cartons cover portion has a cover panel releasably secured to an underlying front panel of the cartons body portion. A tear line is formed in the cover panel to divide it into first and second panel portions. Upon removal of the first panel portion or tear strip, a lock tab is preferably formed automatically on the second panel portion. Upon reclosing the carton, such lock tab engages a slit formed in the front panel to provide means for locking the body and cover portions together.

The above mentioned tear strip is preferably tapered at at least one end to facilitate erection of a flattened blank into carton form and to aid in the subsequent removal of the tear strip. Otherwise stated, the tear line forming such strip comprises straight portions, at least one of which is arranged in non-parallel relationship relative to a free edge of the strip. Such an arrangement aids in the above mentioned squaring-up function.

Brief description of the drawings FIG. 1 is a plan view of the outer surface portions of a carton blank constructed and arranged pursuant to the teachings of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view disclosing an erected and closed carton formed from the blank illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 disclosing the carton in its opened condition; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the carton illustrated in FIG. 3 but with the carton reclosed.

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Description of the preferred embodiment The carton blank illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a plurality of first through fifth panels 10-14, respectively, consecutively connected together at first parallel score lines 15-18. Second parallel score lines 19 and 20, arranged transversely relative to the first score lines, define a flap at each end of panels 1013. For example, panel 10 has flaps 10a and 10b hingedly connected thereto at second score lines 19 and 20, respectively.

Fifth panel 14 has a tear line means 21 formed therein to divide the panel into first and second panel portions 14a and 14b, respectively. Panel portion 14a is adapted to be secured to first panel 10 at a glue pattern 22 to form a flattened, tubular carton for shipping purposes. Second panel portion 1412 has a lock tab means 14c defined at an outer edge thereof by a mid-portion of the tear line means. As illustrated, the lock tab means is arranged to extend into the first panel portion so that when such portion is removed from the carton the lock tab may be inserted into a slit means formed in first panel 10.

The first and third panel fi-aps on each side of the blank have a locking arrangement constructed thereon for forming each side of the carton. For example, first panel flap 10b has an arcuate slit 109 formed therein adjacent to a free edge thereof adapted to receive a lock tongue 12d formed on the free edge of third panel flap 12b. A discontinuous scoreline 10h is constructed and arranged to permit slit 10 to open a sufficient amount to facilitate reception of tongue 12d during carton formation.

As above stated, the blank of this invention requires substantially less paperboard, or other suitable packing material, than is required by conventional cartons of this type. Firstly, a number of such cartons require a rather large outer front panel, corresponding to relatively small panel 14. Also the outer front panel is normally divided into three panel portions. In addition, it should be noted that the widths of first and second panel flaps 10a and 11a are substantially equal to each other.

The third and fourth panel flaps 12a and 13a are constructed substantially equal with respect to each other but are substantially less than the widths of the first and second panel flaps. It can be seen that a series of blanks may be nested with each other by placing the first and second panel flaps of one blank adjacent to the third and fourth panel flaps of a second blank. Thus, the substantial savings (10% in many instances) in the amount of carton blank material utilized is largely achieved due to (1) such a unique nesting arrangement, and (2) the utilization of a relatively narrow front outer panel (preferably one-fourth to one-third of the height of panel 10 as viewed in FIG. 2).

FIGS. 2-4 illustrate a reclosable carton erected from the carton blank of FIG. 1. The body portion of the carton comprises first (bottom) panel 11 and upstanding and opposed first (front) and third (rear) panels 10 and 12, hingedly connected thereto. Each side of the body portion is formed by covering an upstanding bottom panel flap, arranged substantially coextensively with respect to the front and rear panels, with respective front and rear panel flaps. For example, flaps 10b and 12b are preferably overlapped and attached together by inserting lock tongue 12d into arcuate slit 109.

The cover portion of the carton comprises fourth (top) panel 13 hingedly connected to rear panel 12, flaps 13a and 13b, arranged in opposed relationship to their respective bottom panel flap and front cover panel 14 which is superimposed on front panel 10. Although flaps 13a and 13-b are illustrated as being arranged between a respective bottom panel flap and flaps 10b and 12b, it

3 should be understood that flaps 13a and 13b may be positioned interiorly of the body portion of the carton, i.e., against bottom panel flaps lla and 11b, only.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, glue pattern 22 comprising a conventional adhesive (a standard glue, polyethylene, etc.) is preferably defined by a out line 101' formed to a limited depth in panel to facilitate removal of panel portion 14a. Thus, when panel portion or tear strip 14a is secured to panel 10' and thereafter removed, one or more plies of panel 10 are also removed as indicated by the roughened area 101' in FIG, 3. Also, it should be noted that glue pattern 22 terminates short of scorelines 19 and 20 in FIG. 1 to permit ready grapsing of one or both end portions of tear strip 14a by the consumer.

It should be noted that the tear strip is preferably tapered at each end thereof, i.e., tear line means 21 comprises three straight portions: a central portion 211a arranged substantially parallel to a free edge of the tear strip and outer portions 21b and 21c arranged in diverging relationship relative to such free edge. Such a tapered arrangement facilitates erection of a flattened, tubular blank having panels 10 and 14 secured together at glue pattern 22. In particular, if tear line 21 were straight panel portion 14b would tend to buckle and move away from panel 10 when opposed forces are applied at scorelines and 17 to erect the blank into carton form.

From the above description it can be seen that when p the tear strip is removed from panels 10 and 14 that lock tab 14c may be inserted into slit means 10c of panel 10.

This locking arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 4 wherein lock tab 14c is positively locked in position by its engagement with a co-acting and somewhat resilient lock tab 10d formed by slit 100. A scoreline 10k may be formed in panel 10 (FIG. 3) to more readily permit slit lllc to open for the reception of tab 14c.

I claim:

1. A reclosable carton comprising body and cover portions, said body portion comprising a bottom panel and upstanding and opposed front and rear panels hingedly connected to said bottom panel, each side of said body portion having an upstanding flap hingedly connected to said bottom panel and a flap hingedly connected to each of said front and rear panels and attached together to substantially enclose the body portion of said carton, said cover portion constituting a top panel hingedly connected to said rear panel and having flaps hingedly connected thereto, each cover flap arranged in opposed relationship to a respective bottom panel flap, and a front cover panel hingedly connected to said top panel and superimposed on said front panel, said front cover panel having tear line means formed therein dividing said front cover panel into first and second panel portions, said tear line means formed by three straight line portions with tapering outer straight line portions converging toward a free edge of said front cover panel and intersecting a central straight line portion which is substantially parallel to said free edge, said first panel portion releasably secured to said front panel, said second panel portion having a lock tab defined by the central straight portion of said tear line means and arranged to extend into said first panel portion, said front panel having slit means formed therein for receiving said lock tab whereby when said first panel portion is removed from said carton said lock tab may be inserted into said slit means to attach said cover portion to said body portion to close said carton.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the widths of said front and bottom panel flaps are substantially equal to each other and the widths of said rear and top panel flaps are substantially equal to each other but substantially less than the widths of said front and bottom panel flaps.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein said bottom panel flaps are arranged substantially coextensive with respect to said front and rear panels and each front panel flap is arranged to overlap a respective one of said rear panel flaps,

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein a limited depth cut line is formed in said front panel to define an area whereat said first panel portion is secured thereto to facilitate removal of said first panel portion from said front panel.

5. A carton blank comprising a plurality of first to fifth panels consecutively connected together by first parallel scorelines, second parallel scorelines arranged transversely relative to said first scorelines defining a fiat at each end of each of said first through fourth panels, said fifth panel having a tear line means formed therein for dividing said fifth panel into first and second panel portions, said tear line means formed by three straight line portions with tapering outer straight line portions converging toward a free edge of said fifth panel and intersecting a central straight line portion which is substantially parallel to said free edge, said first panel portion arranged to be secured to said first panel when said blank is erected, said second panel portion having a lock tab means defined by the central straight line portion of said tear line means and extending into said first panel portion, said lock tab means arranged to be inserted into a slit means formed in said first panel when said first panel portion is removed from said first panel.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein the width of said first and second panel flaps are substantially equal to each other and the widths of said third and fourth panel flaps are substantially equal to each other but substantially less than the widths of said first and second panel flaps whereby a series of blanks may be nested with each other by placing said first and second panel flaps adjacent to said third and fourth panel flaps to conserve the amount of carton blank material determined by said difference between said panel flap widths.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein each of said third panel flaps has a lock tongue formed on a free edge thereof and each of said first panel flaps has an arcuate slit formed therein adjacent to a free edge thereof adapted to receive a respective lock tongue when said blank is erected into a carton.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,368,739 2/1968 Roccaforte et al. 3,410,476 11/ 196 8 Buttery. 3,018,941 1/ 1962 Wagaman. 3,109,577 11/1963 Knipp. 3,257,067 6 1966 Buttery et al. 3,270,946 9/1966 Redpath, et al. 3,281,059 10/1966 Buttery et al. 3,281,053 10/1966- Buttery et al. 3,298,595 1/ 1967 Collura. 3,315,873 4/1967 Strange. 3,361,327 11/1968 Waldrop. 3,366,311 11/1968 Simpson et al. 3,310,222 3/1967 Buttery.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,395.632 3/1965 France.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner, 

